A Not So Villainous Girl [UNDER REVISION - HIATUS]

Chapter 29: A Surprising Encounter

After making sure that Fred knows what to prepare when he speak to his parents, our momentary conversation stops when one of the knight came to pick me up from the garden. Fred instantly straightened his back and sighed heavily as if he was in sorrow. I shake my hands in his but Fred merely held it tighter though he did let me slip one hand away from his.

"We can do it." I said to him, patting his shoulder with my free hand.

He nodded along with me. "We can do it."

The knight then excused himself to remind us that Duke Frost was calling for me. I thanked the knight and walked back to where my parents were waiting. As I walked I noticed that Fred was still holding my hand.

"Prince Fred." I motioned to our interlocked hands. Fred gave it a last squeeze before lets it go. When I thought we were done, he then came closer and wrapped his arms around me to bring me to his embrace. It was so sudden that I eventually stopped thinking for a few seconds in his arms.

"Y-your highness?" My voice wavers at the sudden closeness between us. What was going on? Did he want some last minute reassurance or something? Eventually, I returned his hug by wrapping my arms around him as well and patted his back.

I shivered when he moved his head to breathe against my neck as if he was inhaling my scent. The sensation was so ticklish and new that I trembled against the touch of his nose on my skin.

He lets go when I patted his back for the second time. I couldn't read his face but somehow it feels like he was not fully alright yet but I could only give him a small squeeze on his arms.

"I'll see you on the ceremony day." I said.

"Yes. Take care, Anna."

I turned around and hurried back to my parents who were waiting for me and went back home.

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On the night before the ceremony, sleep didn't welcome me as easily as it used to. I kept shifting in different positions on my bed, tugging and uncovered my self with or without the blanket. Overall, sleep did not embrace me well this night but my body was extremely tired from what I went through the past few days.

I decided that I should probably need to drink something warm so I got out of bed and reached to my table on the other side of the room. While turning on the night lamp on the table, a sudden shift of shadow moved along the wall and I jumped at the shadow which was moving strangely. I took the nearest sharp object, a pen to be exact, and held it tight before I turned around and -

Found nothing. My bedroom was still empty. I looked around suspiciously, fear already filling inside my limbs. I swore I saw someone or something behind me when I saw the shadow casted on the wall next to me but somehow there was nothing when I turned around.

I then noticed that my curtains were a little bit open and sighed out loud. "It's just that? I thought someone was here or something." I spoke to myself as I hurried to close the curtains from the windows.

Suddenly I felt a sense of dread filling me when I felt the hairs behind my neck stood up and suddenly a piece of rough clothing covered my eyes and mouth.

Fear ran wildly inside my brain and my entire body as I struggled to get the cloth out of my face. My body was suddenly crashed against someone from my back as I kept struggling. Who was it? A kidnapper at this time of such crucial night? Was it out there to kill me? The ceremony didn't even start yet!

I couldn't breathe properly as I was scratching the cloth that made me unable to breathe properly when it covered my eyes, nose and mouth with a foul smell of heavy chemicals but I held my breath to not let any of the chemicals haze me. However the smell was strong so I was losing my power with each passing seconds.

While fear run wildly inside my blood, I kept on struggling against their hold and tried to jab their body with my elbow and successfully hit their vital spot when they grunted in pain and loosened their hold against my face. 

I didn't know how the sudden brute of force came out from me but I jabbed them again harder this time and turned around, finally seeing who this person was.

A masked man with tall lanky figure.

I quickly kicked his shin and kicked his head when he crouched. Taking the nearest weapon  available, which was a pen from my desk, and harshly hitting it into the back of his neck. I flinched with disgust when the tip of my pen slashed against his neck and made him cry out in pain as the blood gushed out the wound.

Fearing that he'll retaliate me again, I kicked harder from the side and made him fall to the ground before I screamed for my parents and the guards as I ran out of my room.

Instantly the knights of our house came so quick that they rushed to me right away when they heard the commotion coming from my room. One of the knight came to inspect me closely to see whether I was faring well.

"My lady! Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" He asked worriedly, eyes darting to my entire body to check for any wounds or injuries.

I felt like I was out of breath after the previous self-defense. "I-I'm okay. Masked m-man - he's still in my r-room." I tried to speak, unable to talk without the fear yet.

The knight and nodded. He pulled me closer, away from the doors of my bedroom and kept me close. "Stay with me, my lady. I'll make sure you stay safe."

"M-mother and father? Wh-where are they?"

"They are safe, my lady."

I kept close to the knight, flinching when I heard several screams coming from my bedroom and sounds of swords clashing.

A blood bloody screech appeared loudly afterwards, my entire body shakes in horror by the sound. Then a choke of bloodied cough followed before a loud thump.

I couldn't keep my legs straight anymore. Never in my lives I have encountered this form of terror. It was so dreadful and scary, like knowing painful torture and death would come to you ever so quickly - it made me terribly scared.

"My lady!" I felt my entire went limp as I almost fall down to the floor. The knight held me tightly before he shakes me gently to see whether I was still conscious or not.

"We need to get her away from this area, Romi!" Another knight tells the current knight who was helping me.

Romi nodded, his brown head shakes to his head movement. He looked back at me with an apologetic expression, "Forgive me, my lady but I must carry you to your parents."

He then held my body in his arms before he lifted me up from the ground gently. I couldn't feel or remember anything as Romi held me and run towards where my parents were located.

Only fear runs in my mind as I think back to my previous moments. Were someone out there really tried to kill me because of the ceremony? Or was it because I was the saintess.